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More developments in undercover drug sting
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Leroy Brown was shot and killed. |
Largo police officers and the family of the victim have very different reactions to the shooting that left one man dead, and an undercover officer injured.
Police Chief Lester Aradi says Leroy Brown was in the middle of a drug deal with an undercover officer at a convenience store Thursday night when officials he got cold feet and tried to drive off with the officer still hanging out of the car.
"They should have let him go," said the suspect's niece Kiwana Feazell.
The chief says the two investigators who fired shots, Paul Amodeo and Joseph Coyle, may have had no choice but to shoot. According to the chief the two officers felt threatened by Brown's vehicle. The undercover officer had already suffered injuries to her leg and neck from being dragged.
"While I have full confidence that we would have conducted a fair and impartial investigation we felt it prudent for the public to understand that we want the public confidence in this investigation," said Chief Aradi.
So, Chief Aradi has asked the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to do the investigation to make sure it was truly a case of kill or be killed.
Records show since 1987, Brown was arrested at least a dozen times on drug related charges.
Largo police say they've had undercover officers purchase drugs from Brown at least four other times.
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